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As New York Fashion Week kicks off Thursday, designers are still in recovery mode after a long period of economic uncertainty—and, more recently, a hurricane.

But the mood isn't gloomy. Interviews with more than a dozen designers suggest that the collections for spring 2012 may be among the most colorful in years. Colors will be vibrant and saturated, some making use of new technologies that enable dye to more deeply penetrate fabric.

At the same time, clothes may be more chaste, with many below-the-knee skirts, higher necklines and clothes that reveal less skin overall. There will be a retro feel to many collections as some designers look to the 1960s for inspiration.

Designers say they needed to provide a shot of optimism while satisfying consumers' yen for somewhat more conservative, comfortable clothes. This seems likely to produce more sportswear than party-wear. (Dressy shorts, though, will continue to be a category all their own.)

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Nanette Lepore describes her collection as 'classic American sportswear with a whiff of "Last Picture Show," ' she says. Skirts will be fuller.
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"We live in a world where we have no control over natural disasters," says Tommy Hilfiger. His collection, which he'll show Sunday (with a show on Friday, Sept 9, for his men's collection) is "positive and spirited and bright"—influenced by 1960s pop art, he says. He says optimism is important because of disasters such as Hurricane Irene and because "we have an unstable economy, unfortunately. And we just all have to keep moving ahead."

New York is the first fashion week in more than a month of collections that will move on to London, Milan and finally Paris, ending in October. The New York collections will mark transitions for several designers.

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For her more casual secondary line, Donna Karan is in line with the current sporty ethic, saying she was inspired by 'modern Americana.'
Ruven Afanador

Georgina Chapman, designer of Marchesa, took the advice of her stylist, Tabitha Simmons, who told her it was a shame her presentations—with models posed in rooms—prevented guests from seeing her dresses in motion. So Marchesa, whose designs are popular on the red carpet, is doing what Ms. Chapman calls a "salon-style" show, though she wouldn't divulge further details.

Designers who show their collections on Sunday are tiptoeing around 9/11 sensitivities. Diane von Furstenberg held a meeting with her staff to consider the best approach to Sunday's show. "We were a little confused about how to deal with that," she says, "so we're making a contribution to the Families of September 11," a charitable fund. The contribution was noted on the show's invitations.

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Derek Lam was inspired by 'the residential architecture of Richard Neutra, specifically the Midcentury homes in Palm Springs, California.' That led the California native to 'clean fabrics, fresh and crisp, mixed with more natural textures like burlap and leather.'
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The hurricane sent some designers into disaster-recovery mode after they and their staffs lost a key weekend of work to the bad weather. Many designers create their collections in the month before fashion week, leaving little room for error. Marc Jacobs postponed his show from Monday to the last slot in the week—Friday, Sept. 15, at 8:30 p.m. Mr. Jacobs, whose show is a highlight of the week, creates his collection in the last few weeks, and his team was slowed down by the storm. His move had the fashion directors of many retailers and magazine editors rescheduling their flights to London for its shows so they could stay longer in New York.

The up-and-coming designer Katie Ermilio says her collection 'plays within the meeting place of where menswear ends and womenswear begins, incorporating elements of draping alongside sharp tailoring.
Katie Ermilio;

Jason Wu wasn't tripped up, however. "I checked the weather," says the designer, a famously organized taskmaster. "So we planned for it: We worked the weekend before." All that planning has helped Mr. Wu transform his fashion line into a fuller brand. In the past year, he has launched production of handbags and shoes. He recently hired a full-time accessories designer from Christian Louboutin and says that his prefall collections in December will show a substantial expansion of those lines.

One of the designers whose clothes will show less skin is Nanette Lepore, whose show will be Wednesday. "Somehow, we're getting swept up with conservatism in this country, and it's affecting the way we dress," says Ms. Lepore. "People are covering up and still feel sexy." Ms. Lepore says she was inspired by "The Last Picture Show," a 1971 film that reflected a loss of innocence.

In her clothes, this will be suggested by longer skirt lengths and less revealing cuts, which the designer paired with electric colors like lemon and "hot flamingo." She used new dyeing techniques to get supersaturated colors into her collection.

Contributing to a kaleidoscope of color, Rebecca Taylor, who will show this Friday, will include vivid colors. "Shades of oyster are highlighted by bold citrus colors of lemon, lime and tangerine," she says.

But Juan Carlos Obando, a rising star who is expanding his private-client business, says he is going with a "hedonistic" approach. "You're going to get large amounts of flesh, but in an incredibly sophisticated way," he says of his collection, which will be presented Wednesday.

Many designers believe that popular culture continues to lean toward comfort and ease. Sophie Theallet, whose show is scheduled for Tuesday, says she is going with elegant clothes that seem "nonchalant," with vivid colors muted by layers of sheer black organza.

The designer was thinking of traveling clothes and '60s pop art. He says his latest collection is 'positive and spirited and bright,' while hewing to his roots: 'We're preppy. Ivy League on the road.'
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Lisa Mayock, one half of the design duo behind Vena Cava, says its collection—designed from a Vietnam beach bungalow—aims to "befit an elegant traveler—someone who wants to look 'done' but be completely comfortable at the same time."

Derek Lam, who will get extra exposure this season after being anointed the "Mercedes Benz Presents" designer—an award given by the Lincoln Center event's sponsor—says he has been looking back to the mid-century architecture of Richard Neutra for inspiration. That led him to "clean fabrics, fresh and crisp mixed with more natural textures like burlap and leather," he says.

Mr. Lam may be one of the few on the East Coast who took comfort in the earthquake that struck recently. "Since I am inspired by California," he says, "the earthquake was an appropriate and good omen."

Fashion Week Highlights

General-admission tickets to the shows aren't available, but some websites will live-stream many of them. Lincoln Center hosts many shows, while other shows and presentations are at Milk Studios in the meatpacking district and various locations around Manhattan. All times are eastern and subject to change.

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